Boot or shoe cleaner.



No. 718,861. PATENTBD JAN. 20, 1903.

D. MoEACHERN.

BOOT 0R SHOE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1902.

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DOUGALD llfOEAOl-IERN, OF ROSSLAND, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE'HALF TO WILLIAM B. POOL, OF FERGUSON, CANADA.

BOOT OR SHOE CLEANER.

SEEGIFIGA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,861, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed November 29, 1902. Serial No. 133,230. (No model.)

.LO [tZZ whont it may concern:

Be itknown that I, DOUGALD MCEACHERN, residing at Rossland, British Columbia, Canada, have made certain new and'useful Improvementsin Boot or Shoe Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in boot and shoe cleaning devices, having for an object, among others, to provide a novel construction of brush and a novel construction of framing, including a casing for inclosing the portions of the brush not in use; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my cleaner as in use. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on about line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the brushes, and Fig. t is a detail sectional view on about line 4 4: of Fig. 1.

By my inventionI provide opposite brushes whose brush-surfaces incline upwardly and inwardly or converge toward each other so the opposite ln'ushing-surfaces conform in a measure to the rounding surface of the shoe and will brush the same as the shoe is pushed between the brushes. I also so construct the opposite brushes that the inclined brushingsurfaces are produced by using bristles of different lengths, so that the shorter bristles will operate upon the soles and lower portions of the shoe in order to efficiently remove mud and the like, while the longer bristles extend up over the top of the shoe and properly operate thereon as desired.

The brushes A are constructed as best shown in Fig. 3 and include the brush-block A and the bristles A extending from the opposite sides thereof and providing the brushing-surfaces on both sides of the block. It will also be noticed that the bristles A are of different lengths, increasing in length gradually from one edge a of the block toward the other edge a of the block and forming, preferably, a somewhat curved surface which will conform to the shape of the shoe to improve the brushing action in the use of the device. It will also be noticed that the brushes do not extend uninterruptedly from end to end of the block, but are spaced apart at intervals, affording spaces a extending transversely the brushing-si'u'faces and which may serve for the discharge of mud orsuch other matter as may be brushed from the shoes in the use of the device. As best shown in Fig. 3, the brushing-surfaces on the opposite sides of the block slope in opposite directions, the short bristles on one side of the block being in line with the long bristles on the opposite side of the block. The blocks are mounted upon a base B, and upon each end of said base are secured the casings'O, which conform generally in crossseotion' to the slope of the brush-bristles, have at their lower edges lugs O, slotted longitudinally and fitting alongside the base B and receiving the screws D, so the casin s can be secured in different adjustments to the said base. The end plates C of the easing 0 are provided in their inner faces near their edges with the upright grooves Cfiwhich receive the ends of the brush-blocks and secure the blocks in position, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2. Manifestly the base and the casings may be made of any suitable material. I find it convenient in practice to make the base B of wood and the casings O with their end portions of Wood and their top portions of suit-able sheet metal, but do not desire to be limited to any particular material.

In the use of theinvention when the brushsurfaces on one side have become worn the screws D may be released, the casings lifted,

and the blocks reversed to present new brushing-surfaces, thus increasing the utility of the device as desired.

By preference the spaces or slots a do not extend the full Width of the brushing-surfaces, but only for a part of the distance from the lower to the upper edge of such surface, the upper or longer bristles being provided in unbroken series from end to end of the blocks, as will be understood from Fig. 3.

By the term bristles I do not mean to 5 Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The boot and shoe cleaning device herein described comprising the base, the brushblock provided on opposite sides with the brushing-surfaces, and the casings having the top portions, the end portions provided in their inner faces with grooves for the ends of the brush-block, and having lugs depending alongside the base and provided with slots for fastening-screws, and the fasteningscrews substantially as set forth.

2. A boot and shoe cleaning device comprising a base brush-blocks provided with brushing-surfaces, and the end casings held to the base and provided with end portions DOUGALD MOEACHERN.

Witnesses:

SoLoN C. KEMON, PERRY B. TURPIN. 

